wow- 19 days without a blog entry- that MUST be a record for me! Sorry guys... Yes I am still alive and dancing!
It's been quite a month. London workshops went really well- we had a lot of fun and I recieved a lot of really positive feedback ( including a lovely review written by Nikki which should be out in Mosaic magazine soon- was very chuffed with what she wrote about my teaching!!!). The performances in London at the Saqarah Hafla were fab too. some really stunning dancers ( I esp liked a girl from Equador called Damiana- she had me glued to the spot with her drum solo!) Charlotte did a beautiful, graceful 'ana fintizarack' too. Good news about London is that they all want me back!!! so watch this space for info on workshops and performance in London in September 09 !!!
The weekend after that I was in Edinburgh teaching at the Edinburgh University. Wow- amazing memories. It was like stepping back in time. I was teaching in the very same room I taught my 1st bellydance class ever ever, way back 11 years ago!!!!!!!!!!! It was interesting because the girls who now run the 'African and Arabic Dance society' there didn't know the societies history... How I set it up with Kate, and Emily etc etc all those years ago. Emily is now one of the very top dancers in London and a master in Iraqi dance especially! How life moves on!
I came over all emotional when I saw everyone arrive especially for that 1st workshop in Edinburgh- so many people I had taught over the years , and a few new ones, all coming together- I felt like we should be opening a bottle of wine and celebrating the reunion rather than dancing- but of course they were having none of that!!!!
It's been quite a month. London workshops went really well- we had a lot of fun and I recieved a lot of really positive feedback ( including a lovely review written by Nikki which should be out in Mosaic magazine soon- was very chuffed with what she wrote about my teaching!!!). The performances in London at the Saqarah Hafla were fab too. some really stunning dancers ( I esp liked a girl from Equador called Damiana- she had me glued to the spot with her drum solo!) Charlotte did a beautiful, graceful 'ana fintizarack' too. Good news about London is that they all want me back!!! so watch this space for info on workshops and performance in London in September 09 !!!
The weekend after that I was in Edinburgh teaching at the Edinburgh University. Wow- amazing memories. It was like stepping back in time. I was teaching in the very same room I taught my 1st bellydance class ever ever, way back 11 years ago!!!!!!!!!!! It was interesting because the girls who now run the 'African and Arabic Dance society' there didn't know the societies history... How I set it up with Kate, and Emily etc etc all those years ago. Emily is now one of the very top dancers in London and a master in Iraqi dance especially! How life moves on!
I came over all emotional when I saw everyone arrive especially for that 1st workshop in Edinburgh- so many people I had taught over the years , and a few new ones, all coming together- I felt like we should be opening a bottle of wine and celebrating the reunion rather than dancing- but of course they were having none of that!!!!
We danced our socks off- literally... and that was possibly the fastest 2 hours of my entire life! Forgive the Jean Brodie moment here.....- So proud of how far 'my gals' have come!! 
Oh and I have had some photo shoots while home too.... posing around in my new lovely costumes ( which I wore at the London halfa).... Hopefully some shots to add here asap!
And then- as if that wasn't enough- i was in both Birmingham and Manchester this past weekend...
Birmingham workshop went really well too- a lot of fun... A lot of the local teachers attended too which was wonderful, and so lovely to see so many girls, who are becoming good friends, returning time after time.
However, I have discovered over the years that sometimes teachers do not advertise workshops to their students, because they want to go along and learn new things to teach on to their own students... however, if their students are in the class then they can't teach the new moves on.... a crying shame for the workshop teacher- at the same time as being a sort of a huge compliment somehow! So- my solution is that next time I am back in Birminham, maybe I will do a teachers only workshop.... plus a general level workshop too.... Hmm.... we'll see!!!
It's nearly a 2 hour drive from Birmingham to Manchester... but 4 of us decided it was worth it on sunday night when we drove to the Iguana bar to watch the Nile band perform.
The last time I went there it had a large bellydance following... this time was mainly arabs... and a different vibe. A lot of fun ( although too much Khaleegy for my liking!!!) and interesting seeing everyone getting up on the dance floor to do their bit. I enjoyed people coming up to me and speaking with me in Arabic alatool..( straight away)... it felt lovely to be welcomed so instantly into the community. I danced a little too... I just cant resist with live music! At the end of the night I was chatting with the band and venue manager and it looks like there will be an actual Lorna performance in Manchester during Ramadan, if we can get it organised! yet another 'watch this space' instruction!
There are photos of all these events.... but none of my own camera- so I have to wait to receive them in order to poast them!
So what next....
well, this weekend I am in Yorkshire , and the JoY festival.... looking forward to that and especially to meeting a lot of the other UK teachers....
and then, 10th April, back to Cairo............. back to my band and dancing on the Nile. I've really missed it. As wonderful as it it dancing here in UK and teaching and meeting so many lovely women who also love this dance as much as me... the Cairo pull is still there.... The force is too great- I cant resist!
The friends and family here in Uk will, as always be incrediably difficult to leave behind. I love that my life is in 2 cities, I know double the people and feel at home in both countries now.... but it also means that I am never fully in either, that there is always a bit of my life missing wherever I are. Strange.
